New business for peat-based fields
Climate actions in agriculture communicated in Central Finland
“Thanks a lot and now I'm going home to start planning my own wetland!”
The farmer waved his hand and left. So did many others who were there. We had just finished the first Local Communication action event in Kinnula municipality. The main theme of the day was peat-based agricultural areas and fields, and climate action in them.
In Central Finland, the amount of peat fields in relation to the area of arable land is highest in Pihtipudas, Karstula, Kyyjärvi, Kinnula and Kivijärvi. The amount of peatland on farmer’s own agricultural land puts farmers in different positions in different places. Of course, it is not the farmer's fault what kind of soil type he happens to have in his own field. Challenges must be solved in a fair way. During the day, we heard different perspectives on how peatland can be used and how wetlands can be created.
"The future of peat fields should be planned through the harvest and environmental benefits they provide," emphasises Antti Miettinen from the national climate unit of the ELY Centres. "High-yielding peat fields can continue to be kept in cultivation," Miettinen reminds. However, the benefits should be seen in terms of how much emissions are generated compared to the yield produced. For poorly productive peat soils, it is worth looking for new, climate-resistant uses.
Wetlands provide recreational benefits, tourism opportunities and sequester soil emissions
One possible wetland type for a peat field is a climatic wetland. Climate wetlands are designed to maximise greenhouse gas emission reductions. In addition, the emission reduction is rapid compared to, for example, afforestation. The establishment of a wetland is influenced by the possibility to channel water into the area and the use of surrounding land; it can also be established on only part of a field parcel, taking advantage of the terrain.
Once established, wetlands need to be managed and, if done by machine, this will incur costs for the landowner. There are other solutions, for example in Mikkeli area, on the Vuojalahti farm, wetlands are managed by water buffaloes. "So innovative solutions are possible" says Emma Thitz, a climate and circular economy expert at the Central Finland ELY Centre.
A farmer prepared for climate change
Marjaana Hassani from Rural Women's Advisory Organization of Central Finland presented the information collected in the project "Farmer Preparing for Climate Change", including the challenging climate conditions already observed.
"Climate change will bring with it variable weather conditions. In summer, temperatures and rainfall can vary wildly, directly affecting crop growth," says Hassani.
"We have seen Julys when the fields are almost brown and Julys when there is so much water that the soil cannot absorb it," Hassani points out. The way to prepare for extreme weather conditions is to improve the condition of fields, manage water and diversify the species grown. She also presented the information gathered by the project on crops suitable for peatlands. For example, you could try herbs, root crops or even cranberries, as well as non-food crops such as reed canary grass, in peatlands.
Sphagnum mosses – A new use for the old familiar
Jaakko Tukia from the Institute of Bioeconomy presented the TURBITS project, which is piloting, among other things, methods for harvesting sphagnum moss species. The project will investigate whether harvesting can be carried out without disturbing the marsh habitat and the existing moss areas. In the past, the innovation that enabled harvesting was probably the shovel; the TURBITS project is looking for more sophisticated and less labour-intensive solutions. However, there are legitimate questions about the regeneration and sustainability of peatland habitats in terms of biodiversity, as peatlands are important biodiversity-rich areas in Finland.
Towards new uses of peatlands
After the event in Kinnula, it was clear that there was a thirst for more information on the subject. Peatland-based fields and mires are an opportunity for us, even if their climate- and environmentally wise use challenges our understanding and habits. New measures and related funding are already available for peatlands. "In addition, voluntary carbon markets and the trade in natural values associated with ecological compensation will be new sources of income in the future," says Anna-Kaisa Tupala, a climate specialist at the Regional Council of Central Finland. Participants in Kinnula were particularly enthusiastic about the establishment of wetlands, so we are waiting for news about the construction of new wetland habitats!
